Takumi's Confession
by Karia Rose
Summary: Takumi tells the story of how he learned that hard way that sometimes you don't know how precious things are until you don't have them anymore.


My name is Takumi Ichinose, and I have to admit it, I'm a selfish person. I told my wife, Nana (some people call her Hachi) already, I put business in front of love. I even moved to London while she was in Japan with my children. I had an affair with a childhood friend, Reira, who I consider to be more like a sister. It's true, I did feel bad once I started thinking of Nana. Reira's been there since I was just a child, and she thinks of me as a lover, but I know I'm not the one who can make her happy. I admitted to her, I have many lovers, but she insisted on adding to that list.

That was almost 10 years ago. Shin, Reira's boyfriend, has matured enough, and they've reunited. I'm not concerned with being her lover, although I wasn't in the first place. I did it purely for her happiness. I didn't think though, of my wife at home until it was too late. Living in London and seeing my children only on holidays, it gets pretty lonely. I sacrificed my wife for business, and now I'm paying for it. I don't have a welcoming home or dinner to come to. She always gave me a place to relax and take away the stress of my own selfish goals. Reira, she wanted what she couldn't have, she hated what I loved, she was jealous. My wife suspected the affair, and still forgave me as long as I missed her while I was gone. I still ask myself how was I so oblivious of what this woman has actually done for me? I sacrifice my family life and my love to go to London for business, yet I wouldn't have been able to get to London without her helping me through the stress. The loneliness kind of hit me, and I started to think of her. It knocked enough sense into me to stop me from cheating on her anymore, but I still didn't live with her. She wouldn't move to London with me because she was waiting for her missing friend, also named Nana. I still think she wouldn't have moved with me anyway, and when I look back on it from a less selfish, more mature view, I don't blame her.

I thought I'd spend the rest of my life lonely, and maybe that's what I deserve. But the text I got from Yasu changed that. My wife, Nana, had been in a car accident on the way to picking up the kids from daycare. He didn't know how bad she was hurt, but he told me that he was told from the doctor she could possibly die. That's when I realized that I almost lost the woman who lived for my happiness.

Of course, I got a flight immediately to go to Japan. The half a day it took really got to me. I couldn't stop thinking I may have been too late. When I got in the hospital, I went to her room. No one stopped me, I'm sure they knew she was my wife, we'd been on the media in every newscast just a few years before.

I still can't describe the feeling I got when I saw her. She'd been crushed behind the steering wheel. Her left lung collapsed, she had a broken back, and both legs were broken, along with a few ribs. It seemed the only thing she hadn't broken was her arms. I was told by a doctor that she'd had a surgery to repair her bones. Still though, she was on a ventilator and was bound to get some sort of infection. There's no saying if she'd live another hour, another day, or for the next 50 years. She was unconscious, so I couldn't tell her how much I missed her, how sorry I was for what I'd done, and how I knew that she'd never be able to give me that welcome home dinner that I missed so much. I knew I was paying for my sacrifice for business, but I never knew just how precious it was. To my surprise, Nobu had been waiting along her side. He said his girlfriend was at home, but he wanted to make sure she was okay. I told him I'd fill him in, and that he should go home to his lover, so he doesn't suffer what I'm going through. I guess you never know when someone will leave you. I should've taken that into consideration when Ren died. When Nobu left, I slept on a chair beside her. Yasu had been watching the kids.

It took a couple days, but I was afraid to leave her side. She finally woke up. I have to say, I think she was shocked to see me there. Within a couple hours she was writing to me so we could have a conversation. She couldn't talk because of the ventilator. The first thing she asked was if I missed her. I told her the truth, that I'd been extremely lonely. I knew what she expected, so I made sure she knew I'd been loyal to her the past year. Then, she actually cried, and wrote that if Reira was in the same situation, I'd still probably choose Reira over her. I couldn't believe she actually made me think that much. Reira is like my sister, Nana's my wife that I haven't seen in months. I couldn't answer her. So I just kissed her forehead and told her that I'm here with her now. She wrote that the house was ready for my return, although she never expected I'd come back. I can't believe she thought of me that much when I'd been gone for so long. So I made sure she knew, I was going to come back with her. I'd never leave her alone in that condition. And when she couldn't write anymore, I made sure to tell her how much I love her, and how sorry I was for not showing her that before. I never really knew how stupid it was for me to put myself through a lonesome hell just so I could get what I wanted. I just told her to stay with me, don't die, because now that I know what it would be like without her, I'd rather have business in a country where I'd be less successful and have her to be by my side, waiting for me, than to be wealthy and alone. She started to cry, and I would be happy that I affected her, had it not scared me that she'd hurt her lungs. I begged her not to cry and hurt herself, and I laid beside her.

It took her months to come out of the hospital, but the only times I left her were for our kids. So, I took her home in her wheelchair. She had to lay back in it because of a back brace and leg casts. She had oxygen. I expected the kids to be scared, but luckily, they were just happy to see their mother alive. Little Satsuki even made a soup dinner. I thought all was well. Then I got another text from Yasu. Now, he was in London with Reira. She'd been in a car accident as well, and had different injuries, but was in the same condition as Nana. When I told Nana I saw her eyes tear up. She thought I was going to leave her again. But now I know that she was the one who knows how to care for a selfish jerk like me, she lives to make me happy. Reira just wanted her way and didn't accept anything that I loved that got in her way. Now it was my turn to be there for Nana. Not only that, it would kill the kids if I left them again. And Nana can't take care of them like this. I can't let her be lonely anymore, and I don't want to be lonely myself. So I told Shin, who went to London to be there for Reira. I just told him to give me updates on her condition. And to my surprise, she was out of the hospital and up and walking in 2 months. It's a good thing I didn't leave Nana again.

Satsuki had always wished for little Ren, myself, Nana, and her to live happily together. Once Nana was fully recovered a year and a half later, her wish came true. I never expected it, Nana never expected it, but we were a happy family again. Business was just fine in Japan, and I made sure to give back to Nana. I took her on dates, bought her what she wanted, and occasionally cooked for her. I'm not much of a cook, though. She still to this day gives me the welcome home dinners and stress relievers as she had when she was still pregnant and had first moved in with me. So I make sure to stay loyal to her, and to spend time with her. I guess age doesn't make you mature, but I think I've finally matured enough to think of other people for once. Shocking, isn't it? But I learned so much in those years. Make sure you spend time with those you love, because you never know how long they're going to be here. And sometimes, you never know how precious something, or someone, is until you don't have it. So don't take things for granted. I didn't learn that until I was in my 30's. I'm just happy she's still here. I still ask myself sometimes, what did I do to deserve a second chance? But I'll make sure not to neglect it.


End file.
